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  3. Viceroy

Viceroy

Limenitis archippus

Summary 6

The Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) is a North American butterfly with a range from the Northwest Territories along the eastern edges of the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada mountains, southwards into central Mexico.

General description 7

The Viceroy is well-known for its mimetic resemblance to the Monarch (Danaus plexippus). The black median line across the hindwing is the quickest way to distinguish it from the Monarch. These two species can even be separated on the wing by their distinctive flight: Monarchs have a leisurely, floating flight and hold their wings at an angle above the body when gliding, while Viceroys hold their wings in a flat plane when gliding, a behaviour characteristic of the genus Limenitis.

Distribution 8

Great Slave Lake, NWT east to Nova Scotia, south to Florida and Mexico (Layberry et al. 1998, Scott 1986). Extirpated from southern BC (Guppy & Shepard 2001).

Habitat 9

Usually found in open, moist areas where willows grow.

Migration 10

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Flowering plants visited by limenitis archippus in illinois 11

Limenitis archippus Cramer: Nymphalidae, Lepidoptera
(observations are from Robertson, Graenicher, Betz et al., Fothergill & Vaughn; this butterfly is the Viceroy)

Apiaceae: Cicuta maculata sn (Rb), Eryngium yuccifolium sn (Rb), Oxypolis rigidior sn (Rb); Asclepiadaceae: Asclepias incarnata plup sn, Asclepias syriaca plab sn; Asteraceae: Ageratina altissima sn (Gr), Aster novae-angliae sn (Gr), Bidens aristosa sn (Rb), Bidens cernua sn (Rb), Cirsium altissimum sn (Rb, Gr), Cirsium arvense sn (Gr), Conoclinium coelestinum sn (Rb), Echinacea pallida sn (Rb), Erigeron philadelphicus sn (FV), Eupatoriadelphus purpureus sn (Gr), Eupatorium perfoliatum sn (Gr), Euthamia graminifolia sn (Gr), Heracleum maximum sn (Rb), Liatris pycnostachya sn (Rb), Oligoneuron rigidum sn (Rb), Ratibida pinnata sn (Gr), Rudbeckia hirta sn (Rb), Rudbeckia subtomentosa sn (Rb), Rudbeckia triloba sn (Rb), Silphium perfoliatum sn (Rb); Caprifoliaceae: Symphoricarpos occidentalis sn (Gr); Cornaceae: Cornus obliqua sn (Rb); Lamiaceae: Monarda fistulosa sn (Rb), Pycnanthemum tenuifolium sn (Rb); Rubiaceae: Cephalanthus occidentalis sn (Rb)
Insect activities:
sn = sucks nectar

Scientific observers:
(Btz) = Robert Betz et al.
(Gr) = S. Graenicher
(Rb) = Charles Robertson

Behaviour 12

Adults eat flower nectar, aphid honeydew, moisture from rotting wood, fungi, dung, mud, sap and other sources. Males both perch and patrol for females (Scott, 1986).

Conservation status 13

Not of concern. Extirpated in BC (Guppy & Shepard 2001).

Threats 14

Degree of Threat: D : Unthreatened throughout its range, communities may be threatened in minor portions of the range or degree of variation falls within natural variation

Taxonomy 15

Comments: A widespread species with some geographical and much individual variation. Two subspecies are almost universally recognized: FLORIDENSIS (mainly Florida) and OBSOLETA (southwestern USA and adjacent Mexico). Subspecies LAHONTANI (Nevada) is more or less transitional to OBSOLETA. Subspecies IDAHO needs to be reevaluated. It is close to typical ARCHIPPUS but probably shows some tendancy towards LAHONTANI. Based on the illustrations in its description and examination of additional published illustrations and specimens of eastern viceroys, dorsally IDAHO seems to fall mostly within the range of variation of northern transcontinental viceroys but the ventral tan areas are paler than at least eastern populations (D. Schweitzer).

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Ken Slade, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4681585133_6c96d71a67.jpg
  2. (c) Ken Slade, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5630197604_4e0fb1ea7e.jpg
  3. (c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/9311971132_392ace8b59_o.jpg
  4. (c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7280/7436248752_5bd4f7fb20_o.jpg
  5. (c) Robb Hannawacker, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/39422575@N02/14329839158/
  6. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limenitis_archippus
  7. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887636
  8. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887635
  9. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887637
  10. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28771730
  11. (c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/32697714
  12. (c) Leslie Ries, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/19885442
  13. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887633
  14. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28771724
  15. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28771719

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(c) Discover Life and original sources, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)

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